Governor's Office for Local DevelopmentCarroll County Awarded CEGG Funding

Press Release Date:

Monday, March 13, 2006

Contact Information:

Samantha CookPublic Information Officer1-800-346-5606

Governor Ernie Fletcher and the Governor’s Office for Local Development (GOLD) today announced thatCarroll County Fiscal Court will receive $200,000 in funding from the Community Economic Growth Grant (CEGG).

The fund, which was established during the 2005 General Assembly as HB 267, provides nearly $10 million in grant funds to be allocated during the 2005-2006 biennium.

“The Community Economic Growth Grant exemplifies what is possible when the Executive Branch and the Legislature work in a bi-partisan manner,” said Governor Ernie Fletcher.“The infusion of these funds will result in over $99 million in successful projects across the Commonwealth.”

Carroll County will renovate a building adjacent to the Carroll County Memorial Hospital in order to expand the hospital’s services to include surgical services.

This project will create 30 new jobs including surgeons, registered nurses, anesthesia staff, scrub techs, nurse aides, certified medical assistants and miscellaneous office staff with a combined annual wage of nearly $2 million. The project will also create estimated annual net revenues of nearly $1 million to be reinvested into further upgrades, new technology and expansion.An agreement has been reached with the first surgeon to staff the surgical suite.

Senator Ernie Harris (R-Crestwood) said, “This is a worthwhile project that I fully support.The expansion of the hospital will go a long way to assist medical conditions in CarrollCounty.”

Representative Rick Rand (D-Bedford) said, “Despite the care available, there remains a critical service gap. Patients in need of surgical service must travel – usually by helicopter or ambulance – to a hospital in Louisville more than 50 miles away.I commend the Fletcher administration for providing funding for this project which has estimated annual wages of nearly 2 million and the creation of thirty new jobs in the medical field.”

CEGG is administered by the Governor’s Office for Local Development through the Kentucky Community Development Office (KCDO).The goal of the program is to provide flexible funding to support and encourage the economic growth and viability of communities within the Commonwealth.

Counties, cities, special districts and school districts were eligible to apply for this year’s funding. Monies can be utilized for construction, acquisition of property, equipment purchase, industrial site development, infrastructure and capital improvement projects.